Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-28
THE TEMPER OF SINGERS.

n
Get Along with-Csses in Poin:.
81 never knew bass singer who wasn't
good na,ured. obliEing and willing to be
corrected and reproved. Next to the bass
singer comes the alto. She is q little
more independent than the bass. a little
more touchy and Indifferent, but still
little fault can be found with her. But
the tenor and soprano are often terrors,
the soprano seeming TO be the worse OF
the two. l guess it is natural, though,
for a female scold to be . little sharper
than a male.
professional tenors are almost invari-
ably conceited, willful and stubborn.
They want 10 have their own way, and
sulk or fly into q passion il they can't
have il. This difference in the deport-
ment Of singers is due, suppose, to the
nature Of their parts. The base and alto
are naturally subordinate to the tenor
and soprano. 1t is the tenor and soprano
who get the encores. They are petted
and courted and in some cases almost
deified. Naturally get conceited in respect
to their ability. Amy correction or wsrn-
ing on the part Of the director is almost
regarded in the light Of an impertinence.
II is good thing TO show ones apprecia-
ton of what is well done, but the fiattery
of repeated encores plays the mischief
with tenors and sopranos, AMI becomes Q
source of bane to directors
"A case in point to illustrate the will
fulness Of singers is that Of Parepa Rosa
in old Farwell hall, just before the great
fire. was the director, and the piece pro.
duced was The Creation As You know,
ha oh ,c
interchanged with embellishing passages.
One particular part Parepa insisted on
singing in a forid style about twice as
fast as it was meant to be sung. In vain
l pleaded and argued with her, assuring
her that her way was not customary and
that the chorus could not possibly follow
her. No, she was master Of that par;icu.
Lar part. and she would sing il as she
chose or not at all. Finding her obdurate,
told her that shouts not ask the chorus
TO take faster time. and that IL she per.
sisted in carrying out her whim I should
break the time to suit her and change
back after her part was finished She
didn't care what I did. The solo parts
were all she was specially interested in,
and I could manage the rest to suirs my
self. So break the time we did, making
an awkward hitch and all but spelling the
piece. On the same evening, little fur.
ther on. she essayed to strike high
where it wasn't written at all, and CANT
TO n dead standstill-utterly broke Gown
| always thought it was just retributior
for her wilifulness.
Another case when the prima donns
came out second best occurred when wa:
conducting Hofiman's Lay Of the Melu
sine in Louisville in 1877. Nine Pappen
helm was the prima donna. The compo
sition was entirely new, both to her and
TO the chorus. At the last rehearsal wa.
very anxious to have the whole thing car
ried through with full voice, just rs at tn.
final production. A large paid audience
was assembled. But Nine. Pappenhein
refused to carry her part as wanted bel
TO. urging rs an excuse the weariness pro
duced by such rehearsals l knew thai
she had been singing WaSnerian oper,
seven times week and glorying In it, ant
l told her SO. But no; she screened hel
real motive, which was mere capricious
ness, and insisted on having her way Al
the Others sang with full voice till it cam,
to her. hut she would not move. l pur
posely uttered q few words Of remon
STRANGE so that the audience could hea
me and passed on. The next solo par
WAS by Mr.. Remmertz. who came on
strcng and full and did his best. The au
dience was very demonstra,ive and warm
ly encored him. This was too much 10
the prima donna Jealousy overcam
her contrariness, and, coming meekly for
ward, she asked il would not repeat he
part so that she could sing it as Mr. Rem
mertz had liis. OF course complied viii
her request and she sang everything els
Us she was .Npected. ! had tanned IN,
prima donna. Chicago Times.